Top 15 Mid-Major to Power Conference Transfers
Here are 15 key players who are moving from the mid-major level to a top conference team.
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The NCAA women’s basketball season tips off today, with action going on all day long. Before you start watching some hoops, you might want to catch up on some of the offseason movement.
Everyone knows about the big name transfers, like Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow heading down to the bayou to play for LSU. But there was also a lot of other movement this season. Below, I’ll be looking at the top 15 players who were at mid-major schools last year but have transferred to power conferences this season.
15. Elissa Brett (Bowling Green → Michigan)
BGSU had a strong 2022-23 season, which led to its two best players getting Big Ten offers this offseason. Jocelyn Tate is off to Michigan State while Elissa Brett heads to Michigan. Brett, an All-MAC First Team selection last season, is a high-volume 3-point shooter, ranking 22nd in Division I in 3-point attempts per game in 2022-23. It’ll be interesting to see if she’s able to improve her efficiency in what should be a lower-volume role with the Wolverines. She’ll likely fill Maddie Nolan’s role for the team—she led the team in 3-point attempts last season but was fourth in overall field-goal attempts.
14. Jordan Harrison (Stephen F. Austin → West Virginia)
West Virginia should be renamed SFA East, as the Mountaineers hired former SFA head coach Mark Kellogg, who brought along one of the program’s best players, Zya Nugent, and a player who can make an even bigger impact, Jordan Harrison. Last year’s WAC Freshman of the Year, Harrison was top-50 in Division I in assists per game last year with 4.9. If she can cut down on her turnovers, she can be an effective lead guard for the Mountaineers.
13. Anna DeWolfe (Fordham → Notre Dame)
One thing I think of when I think about Notre Dame historically? Shooting. One thing Anna DeWolfe brings? Shooting. She’s shot over 35% from deep in two of the past three seasons while averaging 7.1 attempts over that three-season span. DeWolfe also added 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game. She’ll likely spend much of her time with the Irish as a spot-up threat.
12. Tirzah Moore (Oral Roberts → West Virginia)
Another part of West Virginia’s new-look team, Tirzah Moore doesn’t miss a lot of shots inside the 3-point line, as she ranked in the country’s top five percent last year in 2-point field-goal percentage, shooting 58%. She’s also a strong rebounder, pulling down 10.2 per game while also averaging 2.9 stocks (steals + block) per game. The former Summit League Freshman of the Year should provide a strong interior presence on both ends of the floor.
11. A’jah Davis (NIU → Seton Hall)
The 6-foot-1 Davis was fourth in the country in rebounding last season while also scoring 16.2 points per game on 54.9% shooting. Davis does a great job generating extra opportunities on offense, ranking in the top 10 in offensive boards in two consecutive seasons. There’s been some talk that Seton Hall wants Davis to expand her game beyond the paint. It’ll be interesting to see how that ends up working
10. Camilla Emsbo (Yale → Duke)
Emsbo should provide a strong interior defensive presence for Duke this year. While she missed last season at Yale due to an injury, Emsbo averaged 2.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game in her last season. She also added 14.1 points per game on 51.4% shooting. Health will determine a lot here, but if she’s at 100%, Duke has a great big rotation with her and Kennedy Brown.
9. Isnelle Natabou (Sacramento State → Iowa State)
Iowa State’s in a rebuilding year, as program stalwart Ashley Joens is gone, as are Stephanie Soares and Denae Fritz. The team brought in some good freshmen players to help fill the void, but a lot is likely to fall on Isnelle Natabou, who comes over from Sacramento State. Last season, Natabou averaged 15.8 points per game and finished 12th in the nation in field-goal percentage. She also added 9.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. The 6-foot-5 center should help fill the production that Soares provided at the five.
8. Kaitlyn Davis (Columbia → USC)
Davis shot 51% for Columbia last year while averaging 13.6 points per game. She was a huge all-around threat for the Lions, adding 8.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest. The versatile wing will be asked to contribute all over the floor for Lindsay Gottlieb’s program.
7. Madison Bartley (Belmont → Baylor)
Bartley is one of two mid-major transfers to join Baylor this year along with Ohio’s Yaya Felder. The two should play key roles off the team’s bench, with Bartley likely serving as the team’s lead bench big. Baylor fans might see a little bit of Caitlin Bickle in her—a big who plays hard and scores well inside but can also stretch out to the 3-point line, where Bartley shot 38% two seasons ago.
6. Frannie Hottinger (Lehigh → Marquette)
Hottinger is coming off a career-best season at Lehigh, as she averaged 20.4 points per game on 43.8% shooting. She had some fall-off from three vs. her numbers earlier in her career, but the 6-foot-1 wing finished 35th in the country in rebounds per game. The Patriot League Player of the Year should add a lot of scoring on the wing for Marquette.
5. Beyonce Bea (Idaho → Washington State)
Beyonce Bea doesn’t have to move far for her new team, as Pullman is just eight miles away from her previous home in Moscow, Idaho. One thing about Bea: she can get some buckets. A common sight in Her Hoop Stats’ lines of the night last season, Bea averaged 22.8 points per game for the Vandals and showed a strong ability to draw fouls and get to the line, ranking 13th in free-throw attempts per game. She also added 8.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, proving she’s more than just an offensive threat, though the offense is the big thing here. Bea was 14th in offensive win shares in 2022-23.
4. Sali Kourouma (Little Rock → Arizona)
Kourouma is an interesting case heading into this season. She was one of the highest volume shooters in college basketball last year, ranking 31st in field-goal attempts per game. She also just wasn’t very efficient, shooting 41.1% from the floor. But if that efficiency rises in a lower-volume role with Arizona, this could be a breakout season for Kourouma. Even if it doesn’t, her defensive contribution is enough to make a major impact, as she averaged 2.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game last year for Little Rock, which helped her rank second in the nation in defensive win shares per 40 minutes.
3. Kayla Padilla (Penn → USC)
The former Penn star should have a lot of opportunities to shoot the ball at USC. Last season, she shot 38.2% from three on 7.3 attempts per game. She was 12th in 3-point percentage among all players to shoot at least seven threes per game. She also added 3.4 assists per game. Padilla will provide a steadying presence for an intriguing Trojans squad.
2. Destinee Wells (Belmont → Tennessee)
The second Belmont player on this list is Destinee Wells. Last season, she averaged 19.5 points per game for the Bruins. She probably won’t need to be the primary scoring threat in Tennessee, but she’ll have plenty of opportunities still, especially as a catch-and-shoot threat from behind the arc, where she shot 45.5% last year. She’s also ranked in the top 100 in assists per game in all three of her collegiate seasons.
1. Kiki Jefferson (James Madison → Louisville)
And now we come to the top name on our list, Kiki Jefferson. After four years at James Madison, Jefferson landed at Louisville this offseason and should make an instant impact. Last year’s Sun Belt Player of the Year averaged 18.2 points per game, as well as 7.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists. She finished 18th in the country in win shares. She’s a versatile offensive threat who has a chance to really impact the outlook of this Louisville team.
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